None of that erased the difference on the field Saturday, when Detroit's lineup ran up an 8-0 shutout of its own in the middle game. That's the swing this series has taken: a tight one-run game, then a laugher, with the finale up for grabs.
Detroit is still clinging to its playoff push even after selling its ace, and Melton is a big reason why. He missed the start of the year with an elbow issue, but since returning he's been one of the stingiest arms in the league, and Hinch has raved that the version of Melton on the mound right now might not even be his ceiling. San Francisco doesn't have that kind of building block outside of Webb, who the front office has made clear isn't going anywhere despite reported interest at the deadline — he's a three-time All-Star locked up for years, the one piece of the current roster this rebuild is actually built around.
Both injury lists are ugly, but they cut differently. Detroit is missing rotation and lineup pieces (Jack Flaherty, Kerry Carpenter, Parker Meadows) while still fielding a roster with a winning record. San Francisco just lost Matt Chapman to season-ending surgery and Harrison Bader for the year, and it shows — a 49-68 club that's basically playing out the string while it figures out who sticks around for next season.